Regaining Control: Understanding Compensation Behavior and Coping With Variable Interval Partial Reinforcement

Regaining Control Understanding Compensation Behavior and Coping With Variable Interval Partial Reinforcement

Patients pursuing claims or causes within bureaucratic, administrative, or legal systems present special problems to therapists. Encounters with systems such as the Veterans Compensation System, Social Security, Workers Compensation, and the courts may cause patients to lose some control over their...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Professional psychology, research and practice Vol. 30; no. 1; pp. 60 - 64
Main Authors: Walter, Charles L, Zinser, Otto, Eells, Tracy D
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Washington American Psychological Association 01-02-1999
Subjects:
Behavior
Client Characteristics
Clients
Coping Behavior
Disability
Human
Insurance claims
Psychologists
Variable Interval Reinforcement
Workers compensation
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Description
Summary:Patients pursuing claims or causes within bureaucratic, administrative, or legal systems present special problems to therapists. Encounters with systems such as the Veterans Compensation System, Social Security, Workers Compensation, and the courts may cause patients to lose some control over their lives and therapists to be perplexed, uneasy, and challenged as to how to intervene therapeutically. This article shows how variable interval partial reinforcement can partly explain these patient problems. Veteran cases are the main examples, but nonveteran cases are discussed. Interventions that therapists may use to help patients regain control are suggested.
ISSN:0735-7028
1939-1323
DOI:10.1037/0735-7028.30.1.60